Lean On Me
by LilFlyergirl
Summary: UPDATED! Abused and abandoned by the Dursleys, Harry finds comfort, and strength in someone who has always been by his side.
1. Chapter 1

Lean On Me (song title is not mine, just borrowing
    
    it!)
    
    Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter! Sad, but true!!!
    
    Hermione couldn't sleep. Not at all. She paced around
    
    her bedroom in her home, the feeling of dread evident
    
    in her stomach. Every time she closed her eyes, she
    
    saw Harry, saw him lying there in pain. And blood....
    
    there was so much damn blood...                          
    
    Get a hold of yourself, she told herself, smoothing
    
    her bushy hair back. It's just a feeling... a bad
    
    feeling. Harry is at Privet Drive, and he's fine. His
    
    relatives don't like him much, but they'd never hurt
    
    him... nearly kill him!
    
    ...Would they?
    
    She didn't know his family well at all, and from what
    
    Harry had told her...
    
    Hot tears streamed down her cheeks. Maybe she was
    
    making too much out of it. But what if she wasn't?
    
    Maybe if she called...
    
    No. That'd get Harry into trouble... and she didn't
    
    have an owl to send him a letter. Then, if he was in
    
    trouble, how could he reply?
    
    She sighed, walked to her window and peered out at the
    
    night sky. What was she going to do?
    
    "Help me," she whispered. "What should I do?"
    
    Crookshanks peered up at her from the bed, and
    
    Hermione got an idea.
    
    ***
    
    It had never been this bad. Harry ducked as a statue
    
    came flying at his head. He had accidentally left
    
    Hedwig's cage on the floor when she left one evening,
    
    and Aunt Petunia had tripped over it, breaking her
    
    ankle. Vernon saw this as a deliberate act on Harry's
    
    part, and was determined to beat him to a bloody pulp.
    
    "I'm sorry!" Harry yelled for the millionth time. "I
    
    didn't mean to leave it out!"
    
    "Sorry my foot!" Vernon roared, catching Harry in the
    
    stomach with a bust of Dudley.
    
    Harry had never felt such pain. He doubled over,
    
    clutching his stomach. 
    
    Harry heard Uncle Vernon cry out, and looked up to see
    
    his arm on fire. He couldn't help it, he had let it
    
    slip, and now his uncle was on fire.
    
    Uncle Vernon tredged around the room before running
    
    into the bathroom and extingushing it in the toilet.
    
    He charged back at Harry, his face beat red, his arm
    
    covered with blisters, and grabbed him by the neck of
    
    his shirt. Uncle Vernon dragged him to the stairs, and
    
    heaved. The last thing Harry saw before he blacked out
    
    was the top of the stairs.
    
    ***


	2. Chapter 2

HI!! Thanks for reviewing guys!! Onto Chapter 2…
    
    Ch 2
    
    Hermione tied a letter to Crookshanks, and set him out
    
    the door. That had been an hour ago. She had written
    
    to Ron, telling him about her worries. She needed his
    
    light heartedness, she needed him to laugh it off and
    
    tell her she worried too much. She needed that. 
    
    But she wasn't sure how long Crookshanks would take. 
    
    Privet Drive... she had heard of it, and knew where it
    
    was. Should she go? She'd have a hell of a time
    
    explaining it to her parents, who were both asleep. If
    
    they would wake up in the middle of the night to check
    
    on her and notice her gone, they'd have a fit. But if
    
    Harry was in trouble, it was worth any punishment they
    
    could dish out. 
    
    She pulled on her cloak, scribbled a fast letter about
    
    not being able to sleep and going for a walk, and
    
    headed out the door. The crisp night air greeted her
    
    roughly, and she shivered against the cold. Okay, Privet Drive. She hurried down her street, and was lucky to see a bus just pulling up to the stop. She ran up to it, and dug around in her purse for some change, almost putting wizard gold into the slot. The doors whizzed closed, and she found an empty seat. Only her and a man who was fast asleep in the back where on there as the bus grew closer to Magnolia Crescent.
    
    Hermione got off the bus, and was winding her way down Magnolia Crescent, and onto Privet Drive when she heard… shouting. Hermione quickened her pace, and soon Number Four came into view. 
    
            "And stay out!" Uncle Vernon hissed, slamming the door behind Harry.
    
    Hermione took a moment to contain herself. She had never seen him before, and what Harry told her didn't do him justice. He was big and burly, like a grizzly bear, and as mean as Malfoy on a good day. Harry stood awkwardly on the step, swaying uneasily.
    
    Hermione ran up to him, and caught his arm before he collapsed.
    
            "Harry!" she yelled. "Harry, oh God, what did they do to you?"

      "Hermione?" he rasped, before falling to the ground.


	3. Chapter 3

HI!! Thanks for reviewing you guys rock!
    
    Chapter 3
    
    Hermione nearly buckled under his weight.  "Harry," she whispered. Harry's eyes were closed. Hermione gently layed him down on the sidewalk, and put a shaking hand to his neck. His pulse was there, but it was very faint. She bent down to him, gently shaking his arm. "Harry, Harry, please wake up!" Why had she come out here all alone? Fury seething through her veins, she stormed her way up to Number 4 and pounded on the door. 
    
    Uncle Vernon, his face still red answered the door.
    
            "Who are you?" he peered coldly at Hermione.
    
    Hermione thought her best tactic first, was to try and reason with him. Harry needed help, and she couldn't find it by herself in the middle of the night in the Muggle World.
    
            "Please," Hermione started. "I saw… he needs help. Please, call an ambulance." 
    
    Uncle Vernon scowled at her. "Get off my step!" and he began to close the door on Hermione.
    
            "PLEASE!" Hermione pleaded, using her foot to keep the door open. "He's your nephew!!"
    
            "He got what he deserved, now you get off my property before I alert the authorities! YOU PEOPLE SHOULD BE CAGED!"
    
    Hermione's blood boiled. "YOU, SIR are the one who should be caged! We are human beings! Your nephew, Harry is HURT! He could be dying!! Don't you care?"
    
    Uncle Vernon slammed the door. Hermione withdrew her wand. Should she? She could have cursed him right then and there… but, Harry…
    
    Hermione, tears trailing down her cheeks, ran back over to him. He still hadn't moved. "What am I going to do?" she whispered. She grabbed one of Harry's arms and flung it around her neck. Why did he have to be so tall and fit? Hermione looped one of her arms around his waist, and started dragging him with her. It was so hard. Hermione looked back down at her wand. Should she? She'd get in trouble, but what else could she do? She aimed her wand at Harry, and yelled "Featherlisa!" Harry's weight was lifted remarkably. Now she could bring him with her without collapsing with exhaustion.
    
    They made it to the bus stop, and back to her house with only a few weird stares. She guessed the Muggles thought her boyfriend had passed out drunk.
    
    Hermione fumbled for her key. By the time she had made it back to her house, it was 6am, and her parents had left for work. She dropped her key, cursing herself. Her wand was already in her hand, and she had already done magic. What was the use of doing more? "Alohomora," she whispered, and the door creaked open. She helped Harry inside, and propped him up on a kitchen chair. She hurried back down, grabbed her key and closed the door tightly. She heard a thud, and shaking, ran back to the kitchen. Harry had slid off the chair.
    
            "Oh no, no, no…" she whispered, helping him back up. What if he had hurt himself even more?
    
    Harry groaned and his eyes fluttered open. He looked around, and saw Hermione holding him. "Hermione?" he asked weakly.
    
            "I'm here," she said. "Can you walk? I'm going to take you to my room."
    
            "Such pain," he said.
    
            "I know, I know," she said, tears threatening to roll down her cheeks. The spell she had put on him had wore off, he was back to his normal weight. "I need you to help me. I need you to see if you can walk."
    
            "So tired," he whispered.
    
    Hermione clamped both hands on him, and put one arm around her neck and began the trudge to her room.
    
    After what seemed like days, she had finally got him there, and laid him down on her bed. He had passed out again.
    
    Hermione pulled off his shoes and covered him with her comforter. She then started pacing. What should she do? Call an ambulance? 

Where was Ron? Why wasn't Crookshanks back? Knowing what she had to do, she picked up the phone with a sigh.


End file.
